Anthony Wayne, 1745-1796

He earned the name "Mad Anthony" for his fearless, sometimes reckless combat style, and he became one of the most dependable battlefield commanders in the American Revolution. This biography traces Wayne's journey from Pennsylvania surveyor to the Continental Army's most aggressive officer, examining his crucial roles at Brandywine, Monmouth, and Yorktown where his determined assault on the British fortifications helped secure American independence. The account also covers Wayne's later career in the Northwest Indian War, his founding of the town of Erie, and his untimely death at Presque Isle in 1796 at age fifty-one. Written in the careful, documentary style of mid-20th century American historiography, this volume draws on military records and contemporary accounts to paint a portrait of a man whose driving ambition and combat prowess made him indispensable to the young republic's survival. For readers interested in the Revolutionary era, military history, or the founding generation, Wayne's life offers a vivid window into the violence and ambition that built a nation.